School shooting exercise

Today, I got to participate in a training exercise for Cherokee County Emergency workers.  As always, it was a very enjoyable experience.  I signed up with my friend Betty who has done these types of events before.  But this time, she was a worker since she is a school nurse.  So, I didn't even see her this time, since I was on the victim side.

I signed up through Elm Street this time instead of CERT.  However, there were plenty of Cherokee County CERT members there too. 

I was a teacher who fell backward when the shooting was going on and lost consciousness. I hurt my head and back and fractured my wrist in the fall.  I was tagged yellow and went close to red a time or two.  They did a great job...everyone from the Sherriff's department who kept me on the ground to the EMS team that wouldn't let me get up and carried me out on the stretcher to the ambulance/paramedic truck.  The SWAT team was sweeping through the building making sure we were safe from the shooter(s). They transported about 50 patients to the hospital where we were all triaged in a fine fashion.  There were 5 patients in my paramedic truck and they took us to Northside - Cherokee hospital where I had a "babysitter" the whole time so I couldn't wander off.  There were screaming parents that met us at the hospital looking for their kids. 

Overall, I thought everyone did an excellent job.  While there are always LOTS of lessons to be learned in these exercises, that is why we do them!  I was very impressed that this exercise was kept a secret and most of the people involved on the response side had no idea anything was happening today. 

Here is a clip from the news about it:

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/322316/40/School-participates-in-active-shooter-drill

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/322316/40/School-participates-in-active-shooter-drill